Property guides

Buying, selling, renting, mortgages, law and tax, written so you can decide when you finish reading

Why a household water pump short cycles, and how to size one

Why a household water pump short cycles, and how to size one

Constant cycling is usually a pressure vessel with no air left in it rather than a failing pump, because the vessel exists to reduce pump starts and not to store water. Here is the ten-minute check, the four causes in order, and how to size on flow and head rather than wattage.

Renovating an old Thai house so it can take technology later

Renovating an old Thai house so it can take technology later

The cost of technology in a house is running cable afterwards, not the devices. Here are seven things to do while the walls are open, from empty conduit with draw strings to neutrals in every switch box, plus the order of work and what should never be buried in a wall.

Selling your house without an agent in Thailand

Selling your house without an agent in Thailand

The commission you save pays for six jobs you now have to do. This covers photographing the house on a phone, writing a listing that answers what buyers filter on, three questions that identify a real buyer, safety during viewings, and the mortgage stage where private deals collapse.

Bathroom ventilation and the drain smell that comes back

Bathroom ventilation and the drain smell that comes back

A drain smell means the water sealing the trap has gone, or there was never a trap. And a fan that will not extract is usually short of replacement air rather than short of power. Here are the one-litre test, the tissue test, and the order to work through.

Light colour temperature and sleep in a Thai home

Light colour temperature and sleep in a Thai home

Most Thai homes run daylight bulbs everywhere, bedside included, which is the light that delays melatonin most. Here is which colour temperature belongs in which room, three changes you can make tonight, and the other numbers on the box worth reading.

Which appliance uses the most electricity, and how to measure it yourself

Which appliance uses the most electricity, and how to measure it yourself

The bill charges watts multiplied by time, not watts alone, so a 2000 watt kettle costs far less than a 1200 watt air conditioner. Here is the one formula worth knowing, how to find your real price per unit, how to use a plug-in meter, and how to measure a hard-wired air conditioner with the utility meter.